What Does Exceptional Customer Service Mean to You (30+ Great Answers)

Most successful businesses understand the value of implementing an outstanding service for their customers.

These services can take the form of in-person interaction, self-service systems, and a phone call among many others. To put it simply, the goal is to ensure the satisfaction of the customer with a particular product or service.

So the question is, what does it truly mean and how do we make it genuinely exceptional?

Exceptional customer service is all about personalization

An exceptional customer service rep will remember your name, the names of the members in your party (if you’re in a group), and little details about your lifestyle habits. They will go the extra mile to meeting your needs and making your experience memorable.

For example, a hotel may remember a tweet you sent them prior to your visit about how excited you were for your stay there. Before your arrival, they might leave behind a handwritten note in your hotel room welcoming you back with a little selection of complimentary snacks and/or beverages.

It’s an added touch that shows just how much they value you as a customer and are excited to see you return. And hopefully, you will continue returning and spreading the word of mouth around to your network, and on social media, with photos and kind words about their actions.

These reps are also genuinely happy to create a memorable experience, and enthusiastic when it comes to helping out in any way that they are able. Maintaining a great attitude is key for exceptional customer service.

Customer service team members are faced with inquiries and issues that require problem-solving skills each day. If they put effort into solving the problem in front of them and keep a great attitude while doing it, the customer service experience will be exceptional — or at least turn out better than expected for all parties involved.

There is a quote that “Things turn out the best for those who make the best of the way things turn out.” I think it holds true. It’s inspirational because it shows that attitude and outcomes are not merely chance. It is what you put into something and your attitude and approach that yield the outcome.

Great customer service means ‘active listening’

Active listening means to concentrate intently on the words of others in such a way you could understand and repeat accurately what is said.

A basic, focused connection is critical to understand customer needs and earn a chance to meet those needs. Pay attention to details, understand the customer’s perspective, then demonstrate you heard them by re-phasing, repeating, and recognizing what their true needs are.

Active listening accelerates communication and understanding, builds trust and respect, and results in the best possible solution that meets and hopefully exceeds customer satisfaction.

Everyone should feel valued, heard and receives more than what they were looking for

Within my company, everyone is a customer. Great customer service means that at the end of the day, everyone is valued, heard and receives more than what they were looking for.

One way my company strives for this level of customer service has been through implementing a bonus program to generate as many positive reviews on a monthly basis as possible. This program incentivizes the team to provide a 5-star level of service that is rewarded. It leaves not only our customers being valued but also the team.

The more you can build a community between the company and the customer, the better the service for everyone will become.

A memorable and repeatable emotional connection

Exceptional customer service can only be one thing: a memorable and repeatable emotional connection that occurs in the customer service process.

At a DIY hardware store, this connection might be a feeling of comfort and reassurance that comes from good advice to solve a home repair challenge. At a coffee shop, the barista or cashier who makes you feel welcome and cared for — that is an exceptional experience. You’ll want to come back, even if the product or service was not a 100% win. Because you connected emotionally.

Online and by phone, the emotional connection is not only possible — it’s essential. From the brand presentation to the user experience to the availability of live humans to help assist you through the process, all are opportunities to create distinct emotional connections that give a lasting impression.

We’re more likely to buy, to listen, to care and to engage when the customer service rep reaches across the transactional underpinnings to satisfy needs that are human in nature. Those include the basics — being friendly and inquisitive, and showing that the transaction is there for a person. Visualizing the customer, not as an object or part of an efficient process — but rather as a person — is essential to this customer service mindset.

Think of the woman on the buying side as a mother or sister or daughter who has life challenges beyond what furniture she is buying today. Visualize her in purely personal terms, for example by thinking of one’s own sister or daughter, and the idea of customer service becomes so much more personal and valuable.

Remember that most customers experience some negative emotion, such as anxiety, impatience or remorse, during a customer service transaction. That is a challenge for them and an opportunity for building a customer service experience around caring for others.

Treat others the way you want to be treated

Exceptional customer service means something different to everyone, but if you keep it simple and remember the golden rule, customer service doesn’t have to be complicated. Treat others the way you want to be treated.

It sounds simple, but so many people get it wrong. You are not always going to get it right, but it takes courage and ownership to admit when you have failed your customer. Admitting failure to your client is exceptional customer service. So many people brush things under the rug or blame others. Taking accountability takes true courage.

Communicate. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how you communicate (email, phone, text, etc) it’s that you are communicating. When you communicate with your clients it shows them that you value their time.

Listen. Listening is different than hearing. Listening takes active participation in a conversation. Listening to your clients and providing them with the service or product that they are looking for shows true understanding and will show them that you care about their voice.

Follow through on your promises. Telling someone that you will have something done and actually doing it are two different things. If you tell your client that you are going to do something, you must follow through. Words mean nothing with no action.

Set expectations. Setting expectations allow transparency between people. It provides a mutual understanding of what is to be expected during your professional relationship.

Make people feel special. The minute someone feels like they are your only client, that you listened to them and cared enough to go above a beyond, you begin to cultivate your tribe of loyal followers. A simple handwritten note can go a long way. A small token of appreciation or a phone call to say that you are thinking of that person today tells the recipient that you care enough to take time out of your day to make them feel special.

Exceptional customer service is not always getting it right, and learning from it. Take the time to be honest and treat others the way you want to be treated. Your passion and dedication to your clients will show through your hard work and honesty. Go above and beyond and you will be successful.

Delivering experiences that make customers feel valued, respected and cared for

These components are the building blocks of great customer service, and it’s important to define what they mean for different situations, so they can be applied to both “wow” moments and the basics.

A wow moment might be something like surprising a loyal customer with a complimentary upgrade at a time when you know it will mean the most. But even day-to-day service experiences can be made exceptional through small touches like greeting a customer by name or a quick follow up call to make sure that an issue was fully resolved.

Both of these examples push the service from OK to exceptional by helping the customer feel valued, respected and cared for.

You have to keep clients informed

Taking a chance on an outside contractor is a huge step — a big risk. They might come highly recommended, but you’ve never worked with them before— and that’s worrisome. I try to keep my clients informed at all times. It’s especially important in the case of short deadlines.

If I’m working on ideas, I let them know. If I’m working on sketches, I let them know. I don’t wait till I have something “official” to show them. When clients don’t hear from you, they worry. Keeping them informed builds trust and establishes credibility.

There should be no surprises

I’m an illustrator. I create images that are going to impact my clients brand, whether it’s a business or a publication. The client is going to tell me what they want. Sometimes they’ll be very specific, but ofttimes not. They may not be clear on certain technical details— so they’ll want my advice and ideas.

When I share information and ideas, I need to encourage their feedback and make sure they’re happy with any proposed design. Nothing kills credibility faster than to be presented with finished work that contains a surprise: something the client didn’t know about and didn’t approve.

Exceeding expectations by always following up

Doesn’t matter whether you’re delivering a product or a service. Wait a week or so, then contact the client. Was everything satisfactory? Any problems? Anything else you need?

This makes a tremendous impression on a client. It tells them you’ve got their back, and that you’re invested in their success. They’ll be more than happy to give you a testimonial, and they won’t hesitate to call on you again.

Walking a mile in your customers’ shoes

Crafting the perfect customer experience isn’t easy. In order to do it successfully, you have to go over every touch point a customer has with your business and improve it. And you have to do this through the eyes of the customer. This is what makes it a challenge.

The best way to do this is for the marketer or business creating the experience to experience it themselves. Only by walking a mile in your customers’ shoes can you understand what the experience is like for them.

So think about your business from a consumer’s perspective:

One way to do this is to consider the customers who buy from you on a regular basis. Think about the good and the bad experiences they may have with your business. Now, consider times you’ve felt love for a company because of something they did. How did they exceed your expectations and inspire loyalty in you? Are you doing those things for your customers?

You can also consider the other businesses your prospective customers routinely buy from. Why do you choose them and not you? Inertia may play a part, but it’s very likely that there’s some aspect of their customer experience that is more appealing. Do you know what it is?

Finally, take a time when you felt like a company’s handling of customers was woefully inadequate. When you consider an instance like this, it’s easy to see how one isolated bad experience can sour a whole relationship. Do you have these types of experience leaks in your business?

Designing a customer experience isn’t all theory, though. Wherever possible, you should also experience aspects of your customer journey yourself. For example, buy something through your own online store. By putting yourself in the customer’s shoes, you can easily see areas where you can make improvements.

Experiencing your own customer journey first-hand gives you empathy with your customers. You can now understand how they feel when they buy from you. This gives you insight into what you can improve.

The superior value provided to the customer

Exceptional customer service is always about the superior value provided to the customer. What is sometimes difficult but vital to know is what is of ‘value’ to each customer. When I became CEO of Quill Corporation, one of the premier office supply catalog/direct marketing companies, my first priority was to define what our customers viewed as value.

At the time, we all thought we had pretty competitive prices and pretty good customer service, but the competition continued to beat us with their even lower prices.

We took a hard look at what we needed to do differently to ensure we were providing the value and service our customers needed and wanted – to retain existing customers and acquire new ones. Through focus groups and other efforts, we realized we needed to ensure all our efforts were fully in support of providing outstanding customer service within our new tag line, “Fast and Simple..”

Employee incentives were tied to customer satisfaction ratings instead of productivity; we opened distribution centers across the country to meet the needs and demands for faster and easier service. While the customer was always a focal point for the business, we transformed it to become THE focal point. And it produced results – not just business results, but outstanding customer satisfaction results.

It’s been a business mantra I’ve lived by ever since – “If you take care of your customer, everything else will take care of itself.“

Listening and hearing what the clients are searching for

Exceptional customer service means listening to the client and truly hearing what their searching for and how you can be of help. People are more likely to work with a company that not only delivers a great product but appeals to the needs and desires of their clientele.

One way to ensure the highest level of customer service is to go above and beyond for your clients. No matter what your field of study or interest is, taking the time to focus on the details is what will set you apart from your competitors. The key is to treat your clients the way that you want to be treated; making them feel comfortable and like they are one of the family.

When you meet clients in person, initiate eye contact, continue smiling, as well as using a soft tone of voice and friendly language are some other great additions to your interactions with clients.

For those clients that you primarily deal with on the phone, keep a friendly tone in your voice and adhere to what the client needs in a timely manner.

When it comes to email interactions, use a formal outline and keep the dialogue professional as well as concise. Make them feel the passion and excitement you have for your job and that genuine energy will translate into overall success with client turn around.

Listening to the customer’s pain points and responding in a timely manner

Customer service is about listening to the customer’s pain points and responding to them in a thorough, timely manner. We can’t give customers everything they need, but they should know that you tried everything in your power to make things right if the company is at fault.

Anyone can talk on the phone or answer an email; what’s important is doing it soon and being thorough. What companies should remember is that when someone gives you their money, they are trusting you. This means doing your best to meet expectations and keeping that line of communication open.

Finally, exceptional customer service means building a bond with your customers, which serves to also build loyalty. When your customer loves you, they’ll talk about you with a friend – this lowers your customer acquisition costs. All in all, exceptional customer services is also a great business practice.

Exceptional customer service is the culmination of a great ‘sales’ conversation

When a service provider treats a potential customer as a real human being first and foremost, then begins by building rapport, asks thought-provoking, compelling questions, and really listens to the answers to uncover the buyer’s REAL needs, a productive and engaging dialogue occurs.

And that’s when the right solution can be found – the one that delights the customer because it’s 100% focused on them.

There is value in empowering your employees

For about a year my wife and I struggled with customer service over a bill with a hospital and insurance provider. We spoke with many different agents on the phone and one of the recurring themes that had an impact on the experience was empowerment.

It seemed that sometimes we would get an agent that was empowered by the company to make decisions without having to go up the chain. They would have access to more information. They could listen to us and assess the situation and make a call based on a set of values and standards at the company.

The takeaway from me, thinking like a business owner, was that there is value in empowering your employees, especially customer service employees, to make decisions and learn from the results.

I’m not saying that a customer service employee needs to give refunds all the time, but they could have the power to make that call either way and reach a resolution faster than it would take to call in a manager or something like that.

Implementing ways on improvement

To improve customer service – we implemented a new system to track and collect reviews from all clients and leads. Our theory was – that getting feedback about our intake and sales process from as many sources as possible could paint us a clear picture of where/what we need to improve.

The data collected through all those sources could pinpoint to the weak spots in our service.

Until now, the customer lead team (intake/sales) was only reviewed in completed deals and people who decided to leave a review online.

Our new goal is to ask for feedback from every caller and online application.

Knowing that every lead and client will be asked for feedback promotes better service from our staff.

Clients who were rejected after a phone call was contacted by our team for a 1-min conversation to see how the experience was for them.

We use a 3rd party service to reach out to our rejected applications to ask for a review of our intake department.

Unconverted leads gave feedback through the case managers.

We started this program on January 1st and we already can draw some trends:

Our response time is great, but follow up on deals was lacking – so we are planning to start some retraining for our staff to fix this issue.

70% of clients felt confused between the intake and underwriting process, so we are going to have the intake person introduce the underwriting/case managers in a phone call to eliminate confusion.

Gain customer’s trust and loyalty

Customer service is the standard that your followers will hold your brand at. It is the impression that you leave on your customers to gain their trust and loyalty. Therefore, I believe that there are certain steps that any brand can take to show their clients that they care.

Firstly, ensure that your customers can reach you easily to ask quick questions about your product or service. If you’re using a social media platform, this can be done by stating your preferred mode of communication (direct message, email, call, etc.) on your bio.

If you’re using a website, you should include a live chat or link it with Facebook messenger to tell your site visitors that you’re there if they need any assistance. But of course, you have to first make sure that all information about your company and product/service are readily available to enhance user experience.

After having the appropriate tools put in place, you would need a strong customer service team. It would be ideal to hire experienced professionals who are committed to giving customers memorable shopping experience. Not only do they have to be polite and approachable, but they also have to be knowledgeable about the product.

Customer service plays a huge role in retaining customers’ loyalty. Because once they love your product/service and know that they can count on you, they will keep coming back for more. They may even tell their friends about it, generating more leads and sales for you.

Exceptional customer service happens when you go above and beyond your job description

I remember attending a business conference in Los Angeles last year and as I was in line behind a number of cars trying to leave the parking structure, there was a young gentleman in the payment booth waving at me, signaling me to come to his lane…and so I did.

He started with a smile, asked how my day was, provided me with a bottle of water as he realized that I hadn’t drunken any water all day from our conversation, ran across to another booth to get change for a large bill I handed him, and during the conversation, offered me breathing tips to help me stay calm while I was getting ready to enter into traffic. On top of that, he provided the best shortcut route to get home that my Google maps won’t know.

So, I tipped him $20 for a $12 parking fee and was very happy to give this gentleman what he deserves because he probably only gets paid a little over the minimum wage and never gets tips for his job. He put a big smile on my face and I was thoroughly impressed with the five minutes of exceptional customer care.

I think customer service is lacking in this country because people are overworked, tired, stressed, and unhappy with their work conditions. When you encounter great customer service, it’s really like a breath of fresh air and definitely an added human quality that is missing.

In my field of business client management at Oakleaf Technologies, our customers are our top priority. Their success is our success which is why we receive so many referrals from existing clients and ultimately, that’s the best form of reward.

Putting my customers at the heart of everything I do

I believe that the delivery of excellent customer service is inextricably linked to the overall success of the business. I would argue that companies, in general, do better when they strategically align customer service with their overall corporate strategy.

As a small business owner, this is exactly the path I have followed with my own company. By putting my customers at the heart of everything I do, it has greatly benefited my customers and I have witnessed a measurable increase in business as a direct result.

Think about the customer’s needs before thinking about what you have to offer

Exceptional customer service means treating your customer so well that they will proactively go out and tell other people what a great job you did after they leave your business. You have to think about what the customer’s needs are before you think about what you have to offer.

If you can meet everything that your customer views as a need and then go just a little bit farther, they will leave happy and satisfied. A happy and satisfied customer will almost always tell other people about the great service that they received.

Building genuine partnerships and relationships with your customers

Communicating clearly and fairly, in addition to doing whatever it takes to satisfied the customer’s requirements. Being a fanatic about customer service starts at the top, and that energy and passion will trickle down to the rest of the staff. So much so, that they will know what to do when you are not around.

It builds genuine partnerships and relationships with your customers that will last for years, along with the revenue and honest forecasting from them.

Show your customers how much you care

Exceptional customer service is more than just a service. It’s a philosophy that if implemented correctly, allows you to build strong relationships with your customers, to really get to know them.

I believe that the best customer service is the kind that shows customers how much you care, and the best way to do that is by just being friendly and compassionate, by showing the customer that, like them, we are human beings, with complex lives and minds. This kind of customer service builds brand loyalty and brings everyone closer.

Treating our users as humans with multifaceted lives

For the team at travel app Burdie.co, customer service is all about treating our users as humans with multifaceted lives. We know our users need more than just copy-pasted responses to their complex travel questions and concerns. We read every single email, DM, and comment that comes through our pages—and we respond to each one thoughtfully.

In a world of automation, we believe it’s imperative to communicate with our users with emotions, empathy, and a personal touch. Our users—our people—are our most important asset and we want them to know this through our exceptional customer service.

Providing a fast and friendly experience

The modern customer wants an instant response and has high expectations for communication quality — which creates a challenge for delivering exceptional customer service, but also presents a great opportunity. It’s part of our company culture at LearnLuxto be all-hands-on-deck for our customers, to meet them where they’re at and provide a fast, friendly, no-frills CS experience.

That might mean a quick reply to a DM on Instagram, a real-time chat through the widget on our website, or more formal communication via email if that’s what they prefer. What it doesn’t mean is bouncing them from department to department, only to brush off their question or ignore their feedback.

Our customers are smart, savvy, and at the end of the day, humans like us that hate jumping through hoops to get things done.

Understanding the pain points of your customer and treating them as your own

The most important part of customer care is understanding the pain points of your customer and treating them as your own.

If your customer is worried about something, you need to internalize that struggle too. The worry only goes away if you solve the problem and go above and beyond after it’s solved too. If a customer is worried about their next quarter, I am too.

This is the most selfless way to run a business and while it can be stressful in the short term, it helps you keep clients for years and makes you work harder because of the immediate pressure.

A healthy dose of empathy

The secret to exceptional customer service for me is a healthy dose of empathy. Customer service really fails when empathy is lacking.

If you feel as if a representative is working from a script and not at least trying to step into your shoes, things immediately start to feel adversarial. If you’ve had to repeat the same personal details multiple times or explain a situation to multiple people, the person on the other side of the conversation really needs to understand that that feels frustrating.

Exceptional customer service doesn’t have to involve grand goodwill gestures, it just has to be proactive and fair. All too often nowadays, customer service departments seem more focussed on giving out as few refunds or replacements as possible – that’s profit protection, and not customer service. The minority of companies that get customer service right really stand out and build customer loyalty.

Giving a real personal experience, not a simulated one

Response speed and personal service are two key metrics. While our customers can purchase our driver training courses on our website using a credit card, we have many customers who have an account with us and we invoice them.

Our goal from when we receive the order is to have the course licenses assigned and the invoice generated within five minutes. Automating this process would remove the human touch, however, a customer service representative writes the message back to the client and can check whether this client has any specific requirements.

Prioritizing customer’s time

I expect good service from a company. When a company provides excellent customer service, it shows me that this company is going at least one step further than what I expected of them.

They’re focused and prioritizing my time with their company at that very moment in an unexpected way. It’s a differentiator from their competitors. These differentiators don’t have to be a big deal or extravagant to be effective. Sometimes it can be as simple as being extremely helpful or courteous.

Maintaining respectful relationships

Customer service is the basis of any good relationship. Throughout the entire real estate process, there are many relationships, and maintaining a sense of service to all parties involved throughout the experience is key to a successful deal.

First and foremost the client. I always say I treat everyone as if they were Beyoncé, so every client is treated like her! The client is only one aspect of the entire process, so maintaining the level of service to the other agent you are doing the transaction with, both attorneys involved, the mortgage lender and the managing agent of the building are all essential for a great closing.

Many times throughout your career, you will run into many of the same people, so creating these respectful relationships go a long way in future deals as well!

Providing exceptional care for my clients

This is such an important question, especially in this internet era. For me, customer service is providing exceptional care for my clients. It is a level of service to make my clients feel they are taken care of 24/7. I am always available to my clients, which is particularly important to them.

I often have calls with clients after standard business hours, which can be anywhere from 8-11pm. I am also always available via text message, and I even keep two cell phones. This sets me and my relationship with my clients apart from many brokers who feel comfortable responding to a client within 24 hours.

I do not let my clients ever feel that I am too busy for them. Even if I have to go out of town for a wedding or leisure, I am still available many times my clients don’t even know I’ve left town.

Understanding what the customers need and want

Customer service to me is the key component to a successful career in any type of sales role, be it real estate or any other industry. Exceptional customer service is the ability to ensure the client you have a keen understanding of what they need and want, and that you will make the entire process of attaining their needs as efficient and seamless as possible with your expertise.

The key to exceptional customer service is taking the fears of all the unknowns in the sales cycle away by explaining and educating the client on each step/action taken to execute a favorable outcome.

Formulas for growth and success:

Exceptional customer service = happy and highly satisfied client; Happy client+word of mouth = referrals/repeat business (exposure); Referrals/repeat business + exceptional customer service = more closed business and happy clients.

Take time to understand what your clients are looking for

In any industry, customer service is often overlooked. You hear buzzwords such as ‘partnership,’ ‘transparency,’ and ‘communication,’ but rarely are they actually implemented. All too often, professionals in any industry, become such experts in what they know that they forget to pause and really listen to what their clients are saying. Just because two clients may appear to have the same situation on the surface doesn’t necessarily mean that the motivations and intent are the same.

I believe that exceptional customer service is achieved by approaching each client with a new outlook, exchanging what we think we know for an open mind. I take the time to understand what my clients are looking for.

I ask them questions about the lifestyle they have, what they envision and seek honest feedback throughout the entire process. Sometimes needs change as people learn new things about their circumstances or their wants, and that’s totally okay! I enjoy doing the heavy lifting so that my clients can focus on the excitement of finding a new home. I am a firm believer that if we all operate from a position of stewardship that we will all rise to the top.

Learn what is most important to the customer

Exceptional customer service in any industry begins with learning what the customer wants. While working for Disney (the leader in the customer service industry in the world), I learned that the customer may not always be right, but the customer always wanted something.

It was my job to find a way to get them the best version of that ‘want.’ In real estate, we have to learn what is most important to the customer and then learn what they do not know yet about this industry – how to manage their expectations accordingly.

Do not promise the moon if you have no rocket ship to get them there. As long as you go back to what your client’s most important needs are, you cannot fail. You can often anticipate roadblocks and hurdles along the way to manage the bumpy ride that is NYC real estate. Learn what they want, learn what they know or do not know, and guide them on the smoothest path.

Focus on anticipating the needs of the customer

Since being in the people business, I believe showing up with a smile and a ‘we can do this together’ attitude from the beginning builds a strong foundation for your interaction with anyone you’re servicing. From there, I focus on anticipating needs. I know when people feel special they appreciate your work even more because they see you care.

Through compassion, I can connect with my clients, and it is such a driving force for me and my business. The details can make all the difference between being good to being great, from a no to a yes, and it’s those little details that are typically overlooked!

Being responsive and pro-active to your clients’ needs

Excellent customer service to me means actually listening to and understanding your clients’ needs, being responsive and pro-active (inform of any potential future issues), providing expert knowledge/information, building trust through transparency, acting on your clients’ behalf as an advocate for the best outcome possible, and turning a potentially stressful experience into an easy and stress-free one.

Keep your clients up to speed on the progress of the transaction

You know you’re provided exceptional customer service when your clients are fully complacent with having you in the driver’s seat. I like keeping my clients 100% up to speed on the progress of our transaction, and I know I’m doing a good job when my clients don’t even have the chance to ask for an update.

I treat real estate as a game of chess – if I can keep my clients thinking two steps ahead, we’ll be able to beat out the competition while ensuring that the process is as smooth and stress-free as can be.